Queen addresses Commonwealth with a personal message of hope during COVID-19 pandemic

The Queen has addressed the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in a rare speech outside of her Christmas address. It is only the fifth time in her 68-year reign that she has given a message outside of wartime and death in the Royal family.

“I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time,’’ she said. “A time of disruption in the life of our country; a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.”

“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge, those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any,” she said.

She thanked frontline healthcare workers for the work that they are doing to keep people alive and the sacrifices they are making. She assured all frontline workers that what they are doing is appreciated by everyone.

She thanked people for staying home saying, “you are saving many families the pain of losing a loved one.”

She continued to say, “Self-isolating can be very hard but it is an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect in prayer or meditation. Many people will feel a painful separation from their loved one, but we know deep down it is the right thing to do.”

She ended her four-minute address by saying in part, “We will get through this, we will meet again.”